1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power feeding connector which is used for charging a battery in an electric automobile, and more particularly, to an improvement for facilitating engagement and connection between a connector at a power receiving side and a connector at a power feeding side.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 8 and 9 show an example of a conventional power feeding connector which is used for charging a battery in an electric automobile.
This power feeding connector 1, which is disclosed in the below described PTL 1, includes a power feeding side connector 3 connected to a power supply, which is not shown, and a power receiving side connector 5 mounted on a vehicle body 4 of an electric automobile in such a manner the power feeding side connector 3 can be engaged and connected therewith.
The power feeding side connector 3 is provided with a housing front side tubular part 31 to be engaged with an inner periphery of an outer tubular wall part 51 in a substantially cylindrical shape of the power receiving side connector 5, and a lock arm 32 that is locked to a locking step part 52 formed on the inner periphery of the outer tubular wall part 51 so as to keep the power feeding side connector 3 and the power receiving side connector 5 in a fastened state, as shown in FIG. 10, when a length of engagement between the housing front side tubular part 31 and the outer tubular wall part 51 has reached a prescribed length.
As shown in FIG. 10, the lock arm 32 is so constructed that a locking projection 32b is provided at a distal end of an elastic piece 32a which is extended along a direction in which the connectors are mutually engaged. When the locking projection 32b is locked to the locking step part 52, the connectors are locked to each other in the fastened state.
PTL 1: Japanese Patent No. 2752032
In the above described power feeding side connector 3, as compared with the housing front side tubular part 31, a part including a housing body 33 which is continued from a back part of the housing front side tubular part 31 and a cable 34 which is extended from the housing body 33 to be connected to the power supply is larger, as shown also in FIG. 8. Therefore, a center of gravity is positioned backward from the housing front side tubular part 31.
For this reason, when the power feeding side connector 3 is engaged with the power receiving side connector 5, the power feeding side connector 3 tends to be in a backwardly inclined state in which the back part of the power feeding side connector 3 is lowered downward, as shown by an arrow mark R1 in FIG. 11. When the power feeding side connector 3 has become in the backwardly inclined state, an axis of the outer tubular wall part 51 and an axis of the housing front side tubular part 31 cross each other into a misaligned state, and in this state, terminal metal fittings inside the respective connectors are not aligned in position with respect to each other, and defective engagement will occur.
Moreover, when an operator forcibly pushes the power feeding side connector 3 into the power receiving side connector 5, in a state where the axis of the outer tubular wall part 51 and the axis of the housing front side tubular part 31 are misaligned, there is such anxiety that a region where they interfere may be damaged. Therefore, the operator has to be nervous about correction of the backwardly inclined state of the power feeding side connector 3 in order to solve the misalignment between the axes of the connectors. As the results, there has been a problem of bad operability.